Hickory’s Smokehouse

I went to Hickory’s Smokehouse on a day out for Sam H’s birthday in Chester — maybe not the best place in windy January! However we did get to try some new places for food. Hickory’s Smokehouse is based just by the river with a lot of outdoor seating and a lot of screens to show various different types of American sports. I had the nachos with pulled pork to share, a milkshake (red velvet cupcake — yum!) and fried catfish for my main which comes with a side of the gumbo. The nachos were really delicious and I loved the milkshake, my issue with the catfish is that what it cam with was quite a small order of lukewarm soup which wasn’t very filling. I’d have preferred a larger side or maybe some chips as well. The seating we were in was nice, with a little TV in every booth. I’ve given this three stars due to the temperature of the meal and it was a bit more sports bar than Smokehouse which is not really my thing! However I admit this may have been as we were sat very near the bar and others may enjoy this me than me!

Hickory’s Smokehouse is authentic American BBQ restaurant by the river in the historic city of Chester. Staff is helpfull and friendly. Sitting outside with a river view is amazing. They serve unlimited popcorn with the meals. Both Smoked Pork-​Swiss Cheese Sausages and Cajun Fried Shrimps are delish. #sausages #schrimps #scampi #chips #hickorysmokehouse #chester #UK

Hickory’s serves American-​style ribs and barbeque. The food was great, and served attractively. They have a lot of outdoor tables, and the staff was super-​friendly. My kids really enjoyed their hamburgers, and I had the ribs. Nice place!

Obviously this place has a great location –right on the river, so on a nice day it is really good to sit outside where there is plenty of space. It’s a American style restaurant that does big breakfasts –pancakes etc and I think it suits the place. We only ordered drinks. The staff were friendly, but the service was slow. Luckily we weren’t in a rush. Inside was dark, but I imagine quite inviting on a cold day. I would go back again to give it another go.

OMG!!! If you haven’t been you haven’t lived and you’re definitely missing out– BIG TIME!
We had this place recommended to us by a friend around 3 years ago and have never looked back!
Staff are pleasant and food is stunning! I don’t even know what to recommend in particular its all nice!
It’s advised to book especially if there are more than 2 of you wanting to eat, we particularly love to sit round the «breakfast table» (don’t know how else to describe it tbh!) it’s a high table with bar style stools set around the kitchen — love it but you can’t book these seats unfortunately– they’re usually set aside for walk ins with small numbers.
The ribs are huge and so tender, the slow roasted bbq beef brisket is amazing my personal favourite has to be the Cajun spiced onion rings!
Can’t say I rate the Burgers for value or «wow» factor but then it’s a smokehouse if you want a burger go to a burger chain!
My children don’t allow us to leave here without buying at least one bottle of their home made bbq sauce!
A definite MUST VISIT if you’re in Chester

Had some lovely starters. Hadn’t booked as was a last min thing, usually busy so we were lucky to get a table. Bit of a tall order to have a meal in 1 hour, or maybe it was an hour and a half… I can’t remember but… Burnt ends were nice little greasy, as were the prawn starters, again a little greasy. My partner had the steak & said it was lovely. (With the price tag or course!) I had the gumbo, not quite right… a weird after-​taste, cannot say I enjoyed it very much. Usually good, would not order the gumbo again though! Next time I’d get something that they really can’t get wrong and expect it to go back up to 4 stars!

So I’m in a bit of a ‘discussion’ with my house mates on this place.
One may feel it’s his new mecca for BBQ.
The other feels it’s great, but due to it being in Chester and us living in Manchester it won’t become a regular haunt.
Me… I feel it’s the same quality as Reds True BBQ in Manchester city centre, this caused some intake of air through clenched teeth by the above two mentioned attendees who have now decided I am a heathen and must never speak of BBQ again :)
I am a big fan of Reds True, sooo the above was not negative I did enjoy Hickory’s very much, it’s good american style BBQ, and we apparently went ‘BIG’ according to the waitress.
Walking up to this place I really like how it looks, the building is an unusual shape refreshing from I suppose being a city boy surrounded by reasonably tall buildings.
but I’m guessing you don’t care about my walking into a dreamland, purely what I put in my face in dreamland.
Between three of us we go
The Cubanos — wafer thin ham, stringy cheese, pickles & mustard served on a toasted buttered sub… deeeeeeeeeeeeeelicious
Shrimp Po-​Boy — Ragin’ Cajun fried shrimp with seafood sauce… Tasty
But Toby you said you went big, you’ve just talked about two regular sized sandwiches
They sandwiches were sides, to…
Smokehouse Platter — Baby back ribs, hot links, jumbo beef rib, kansas style ribs, beef brisket, BBQ pulled pork, fries
BBQ Pit beans with Pork n beef rib tips
Burnt Ends — chunks of smoked beef brisket in crispy cajun rub
Oh and I nearly forgot the Sandwiches came with Fries as well
The Waitress did point out we’d ordered a lot of food and that the platter though advertised for 2 people she’d seen 3 people struggle with it, so with all the side orders we’d gone big. We simply replied ‘we’re hungry’ and so it began.
We demolished everything set before us and we didn’t come away hungry, it was a great start to a day of drinking around Chester.
It was all tasty, it was all great. Burnt ends weren’t what I thought they were going to be, but they were delicious and need to become a bar snack across the land NOW.
I did really enjoy Hickory’s and if you’re in Chester it’s an utter must. I think I’m happy enough with Reds True BBQ being in my home town though to not feel the need to make a regular homage to Hickorys… but I will definitely be back

This thing called the sun peaked through the clouds with a little bit of wind but we sat outside anyway but under the cover ‘just in case.’ The river and expensive homes were nice to look at from our table, we were lucky for good weather.
Grilled vegetables was an amazing surprise aNd I substituted the fries w cheese chilli fries which was just jalepeño and so-​so cheese. I added a corn on the cob which I enjoyed with a hornet who came around after I finished my meal.
I’d come back again and try a breakfast which we missed by 5 minutes.

Big fan of this place. We ate here a few nights while in the area for a week. I live in the US and can tell you these guys know what they’re doing. No, this isn’t Rendezvous in Memphis or L.C.‘s in Kansas City but no doubt this is as close as you’ll find the U.K. The hand drawn Ale was a great paring to everything I ate. The burnt ends are a must get app for the table. Or better yet, get a basket for yourself. You’ll want them all anyway. I also really enjoyed the baby back ribs with the maple glaze. Everything I ate from the Triple burger to the Hickorys platter was fantastic. Two people would have a hard time finishing the platter themselves. There is ample outside seating for nice days and even a fire pit. They have large booths that will seat 6 people comfortably as well as a bar and high tops. The place was very busy when I was there but the food seemed to come out in a decent amount of time.

Loved the food. We went to lunch here back in 2010 while on vacation from Southern California. We wanted something to remind us of home because we had been away for quite some time. The food here did just that. The only suggestion I had for the manager (I think that’s who stopped by to ask what we thought) was that normally coleslaw in America has a little sweetness to it; otherwise it was perfect!

This place truly is a good as it gets!!!
As soon as you walk through the door, you will find your self greeted by happy, enthusiastic staff.
The atmosphere is fantastic and so is the American décor.
The food is slightly pricey but I promise you that it is well worth it.
The only criticism I have is that they need to get Blue Moon on tap because the bottles are a little pricey (The authentic American beer is another great reason to go).
Just be sure to book in advance!

A rare 5* review, because it really IS worth it.
First visited end of April with a friend. We enjoyed the sun, sat outside and have an incredible shared platter of rips and other tasty bits.
Th service was excellent, and to my delight, I found the dogs are welcome in the outside seating area.
I went back again the following Monday (Bank Holiday) so waited over an hour for a table, hoping it would be worth it. The staff were fabulous with my dog, brought extra bones for him when we left. The food was as fabulous on the 2^nd visit and this time, I made it to dessert enjoying the best cheesecake I’ve ever remembered having in a UK restaurant.
Hickory’s is in a beautiful location on the river, and I shall certainly be going again on a warm day this year!

Before we start… plan ahead and book days in advance to avoid disappointment.
If you turn up, you will be added to the list and the wait is usually an hour so try to book a day or two in advance.
The service is good, food is served quickly even with a full restaurant.
The ribs are to die for, I can easily say its the best ribs i’ve had… EVER!
The meat falls off the bone… do i need to say more? Exactly!!!
Eating on the decking area overlooking the river on a sunny evening is very nice!
I have been on multiple times for breakfast, lunch and dinner and I have not had a bad experience, the food is A* standard and is priced very well too!
I would keep away from the pulled pork and burger, its a bit dry compared to the rest of the menu. I usually order steak or ribs so if you follow suit you cannot go wrong!
I recommend this place to anyone visiting Chester!

This is a hard place to review. I have attempted to visit them twice before but both time have been put off by a wait for over an hour to get a table.
On this visit I was seated on the food bar right next to the kitchen and I have to say I would be in a hurry to sit there again. It is not the most pleasant place to have a chef getting rather angry at servers to put out plates when they are all busy serving customers.
The food was ok. The burger I had was a little dry and the pulled pork tasted a bit bland.
The entire meal lacked that American BBQ feel. The food wasn’t the melt in your mouth type quality you would get in the states and they just seem to be missing the mark in running a kitchen like a kitchen rather than a BBQ.
I like the smell of smoke round a BBQ.
The member of staff I had was nice but service on the whole was slow and haphazard.
This place has gained a reputation that is completely earned and is busy because of it.

Visited this place for lunch for a friends birthday party. We had reserved a table for 10 and they sat us in a large booth, although it was still a little restricting in terms of space. There were 2 toddlers with our group and the waitress was great with them, she took them to the games room to choose a game to take to the table.
It’s very American here, they serve decent portions, most of it is served with ‘slaw’ and it’s all pretty unhealthy! So don’t come if you’re on a diet! I ordered chicken fajitas which was ok, I’ve had better. The guacamole, cheese, sore cream and salsa portions were a little small and there was a big bowl of undressed lettuce which I’ve never had served with fajitas before, strange. Fajitas were about £12, ok price wise, but I’ve tasted better and for less!
I tired some of my friends Hickory beef burger, but it was a bit dry and thin. The birthday girl ordered pork ribs and it arrived on an impressively large wooden board (taking up most of the table) and covered in Hickory sauce. The portion was nearly the same size of her! She was delighted with it, although when I tasted a little (she was sharing it out as she couldn’t manage it all herself) I thought it was very fatty.
Staff were great, décor is fun with quirky pig snout for door handles and the location is lovely, right on the river. I had expected big things about this place because of the hype I’d head by other people (including the birthday girl) personally though, I wouldn’t rush back.

Amazing service and food was out of this world !

Best steak house I have been to so far! As steak lovers we are always searching for a great place to eat (thats not pub grub!). well this place hit the mark. yes it gets very busy its on the chester water side and has a great rep so of course it will book in advance even if 2 of you just to be sure. reason its busy? its bloody good! and on the chester riverside yes its fairly pricey but you get what you pay for! 340g rump steak (thats approx 12 oz uncooked weight) with 3 HUGE home battered onion rings and gorgeous pepper sauce for just close to £18. (its got a fair sized fat wedge on one side but this is the norm on steaks and needed for the flavour etc). I dont like onion rings normally, but these were class, felt like a meal in themselves, in a tower with a little whole roasted red chilli on top (dont eat the chilli unless you like it HOOOTT! haha.) seriously dont ;-) For what you get and the quality, the price isnt really that bad, I’ve paid £16 for an 8oz steak in a fairly ordinary restaurant before were they clearly only cared about money and not the customer. If you sit outside people smoke so advice not to if you dont or dislike it. When we arrived and asked for indoors they were happy for us to open our side doors to get air. we chose not to as the place it air conditioned perfectly so we didnt feel hot or cold. The doors to the side of the seats for the upper section we ate at are a great idea but little too close to people eating outside for me to feel happy to open really, was worried i’d knock the woman sitting by the door on the outside. I would have opened the door as well a crack but the woman outside smoking, the air condic sorted it all out fine though. Didnt feel a prob not being able to open them even on a hot afternoon. When you arrive at your table they bring a big bottle of water and serve some in glasses to you and leave the bottle with you to drink. so you can sip it and chose to buy soft drinks or alchohol or not. how cool is that these days?! most places just want your cash for expensive drinks. Glass of fresh squezed orange (i mean properly fresh not bottle fresh) was £1.80 and half a pint, very reasonable, not like most places watered down carton crap and charge you £3−4 quid for it. freshly popped kernal salted popcorn as a nibbler on your table as well :-) Its extra to buy the fries with skins on when you buy the steaks, but they are worth it! yummy! x 10 never tasted any so good! real potatoes, and very morish. They offer a HUGE steak like Man V Food style steak for £70 whopping quid! buts its masssooofffffff haha sure its ace and well I cant handle more than 16 oz on a very good day but would be good tv to see someone eat that monster!.. steaks taste like pure american hickory grill. beautiful. Had minor issues with mine but the manager spoke to us personally about it and sorted it. Truly a place I would recommend its already busy, scared to recommend it now in case so many people go I cant book in! ;-) looking forward to going back. nice to find places were they aim to please 100% which makes you want to return, happy to tip and recommend it to other people.

cant review the food as we didnt get to eat. we were really looking forward to it too.
arrived at 12 and were told there were no tables until another hour for a group of 5.
it was raining so we didnt fancy having to wait outside in the rain so left disappointed.
people smoking on the tables on the restaurant veranda were people eat outside which i thought was pretty crap. its still an eating area even if outside.
staff seemed stuck-​up (maybe not the right word), all very young and looked like they had been employed to look a certain way. no old, non ‘hollyoaks’ types of people working there that I could see lol. oh well. thats chester for you ;-)
Looking at the menu outside the doors it is clear that unless you get something like a burger its going to be exopensive to eat here, but hopefully the food would be worth it.
3 stars for the fact it smelt great haha. might still try it again one day but earlier and BOOK FIRST if there is more than 4 of you ;-)

Amazing! Hickorys grill is just fantastic. We went in a busy Saturday night and the staff were great. The atmosphere is awesome! The outside is a traditional pub kind of layout, but the inside it’s themed like an American smokehouse (would you believe!), but not too ‘in your face’. We were lucky enough to sit on a bar style table overlooking the prep area. The only downside to this was that we had to look at everything that we almost ordered (serious food envy going on here).
To start, we had a portion of ‘burnt ends’ between two. A small portion if you are sharing, but starts the meal off nicely. The crispy cajun coating was fantastic! This came with a put of bbq sauce.
For our main, both of us had the xxxl burger. The name really should give something away. It’s got a really high quality burger, a nice big dollop of bbq pulled pork, smothered in cheese with a nice crisp salad. Then, they put what have to be 2 of the biggest onion rings I’ve ever seen on top. It does cost nearly £15, but it’s worth it!
Now, I’ve already mentioned that it was busy, and when I say that, I mean BUSY. That didn’t seem to bother them at all, and the food was delivered so quickly.
We decided that we have to go back before we even finished our food, and, to be honest, I’m usually pretty fussy, so, take that as a good sign.
Overall, the starter, two mains and three beers cost just over £40, but it was well worth it. I’d recommend booking at busy times to guarantee a table, and, if you can, ask to sit looking over the kitchen.

an absolutley amazing resturant if your like me and enjoy the american style resturants, its got lovley bar staff and layout
It seems expensive but for what you are served its worth it, I recommend Mephis Ribs there the best